Damp and mould
We understand how worrying damp and mould can be in your home. There are some things you can do to keep your home in good shape and we’re here to help tackle condensation, damp, and mould together.
STAR is a helpful checklist to remember:
Spot the signs
Try our tips
Act fast
Report it
You’ll find more information and some helpful tips to try in your home below.
Free training and resources for tenants and leaseholders
Watch our training for tenants and leaseholders (which has been updated for Awaab's Law Phase 2). The video is 9 minutes long and gives you helpful information on controlling damp, mould, and condensation in your home.
We're also running a series of drop-in sessions across Barnsley that you can attend to claim a free damp and mould kit. Let us know you’ve completed the training by clicking the button below. If you'd like a kit but can't attend a session near you, please provide contact details in the survey and a member of the engagement team will be in touch!
Report damp and mould to us
To report an emergency repair, please call our Repairs Hotline on 01226 787878 anytime. An emergency repair is one that immediately affects your health, safety, or security and would endanger life or, if not repaired, will cause damage to the building.
Non-emergency damp and mould concerns can be reported online here (opens in a new tab) or by phoning us during office hours.
Spot the signs
Look out for these signs of damp, mould, or condensation in different areas of your home:
Misting and water droplets on windows and other cold surfaces that take a long time to disappear.
Condensation developing in colder rooms, areas where there's less ventilation, and in rooms where more moisture is produced (like your bathroom and kitchen).
Musty smells that don't go away, peeling wallpaper, bubbling paint or plaster.
Black spots or mould growing on your walls and ceilings.
Our Controlling condensation, damp, and mould booklet above, and Saqib's STAR advice videos below have lots of helpful advice and tips to try in your home.
Condensation
Condensation is a common cause of mould. It can happen in any home, especially in cold weather.
Condensation happens when warm, moist air touches a cold surface, such as a window or outside wall, and forms water droplets. It can also form behind furniture where air can’t move freely. Everyday activities like cooking, showering, and even breathing add moisture to the air.
Rising damp
Rising damp is more common in older homes and it generally affects the lower part of the ground floor of a home.
Look for tide marks low down all the wall, blistering paint, peeling wallpaper, and salt deposits up to a metre high on walls. Rising damp usually starts from the ground up. Black mould doesn’t usually come from rising damp.
If you think you have rising damp, please report it to us.
Penetrating damp
Penetrating damp is water from external building defects like leaking roofs, walls, or pipes.
Look for damp patches, particularly after it rains. It can look similar to condensation or rising damp.
If you think you have penetrating damp, please report it to us.
Faulty plumbing
A leaking toilet, shower, sink, or pipe can cause damp patches or water damage no matter what the weather is like outside.
If you think you have a leak, check around the water and waste pipes in your home, the seals around the bath, shower, and sinks, and any external pipework, such as guttering.
If you think you have faulty plumbing, please report it to us.
Try our tips
Keep your home warm to reduce condensation
Keeping your home heated helps to prevent condensation from forming on surfaces. The Energy Saving Trust recommends that you kept your home between 18°C and 21°C.
With rising energy prices, we understand that you might be worried about the cost of putting the heating on. Please talk to us if you need support - help is available:
• Contact our Income team if you’re worried about paying your rent and other bills.
• Contact our Tenants First team for help with the cost of living.
Keep your home well ventilated
Keeping air flowing freely around your home helps to reduce moisture levels and condensation.
Open your window slightly for just 10-15 minutes a day or keep your trickle vents open. Always do this when you’ve used the kitchen or bathroom and close internal doors to prevent moisture spreading to other parts of your home.
If your home has extractor fans, please use them whenever you can. They are cheap to run (only 2p a day or £7 a year) and very effective.
Keep windowsills free from clutter, furniture away from walls, and avoid overfilling cupboards and wardrobes.
Reduce moisture
Wipe down windows and windowsills every morning to remove condensation.
Always use lids on pots and pans when cooking.
Wipe down the bath or shower after use.
Dry clothes outside when you can or in a well ventilated room.
Vent tumble driers to the outside or use a condensing drier.
Don't use portable bottled gas heaters - they can be dangerous if they're not ventilated, produce a lot of moisture, and are a breach of your tenancy agreement.
Watch Saqib's STAR advice bonus episode: Reducing moisture in your bathroom. (Opens in a new window)
Act fast
As soon as you spot a problem with condensation, damp, or mould, follow our tips and see if things improve.
Small patches of mould can be cleaned. If the area is less than ten square metres, you can safely do this by:
Wearing gloves and ventilating the area.
Carefully removing mould and any loose material like flaking paint or wallpaper with a damp cloth or sponge. Throw the cloth or sponge away after using it.
Using a fungicidal wash that carries a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) approval number to clean the area. You can buy this from many supermarkets or DIY stores, and please follow the product instructions to use it safely.
For issues that keep coming back or cover a bigger area, please report it to us.
Report it
If the problem doesn't go away after you've tried our tips, or it's getting worse - please contact us.
Always report emergency issues by calling our 24/7 Repairs Hotline on 01226 787878.
For non-emergency damp and mould concerns, report it online using the button below or phone us during office hours.
Awaab's Law
To read the government guidance on Awaab's Law for social housing tenants and how landlords should respond to reports of damp and mould click here (opens in a new window).